1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to drilling apparatus and, more particularly, to horizontal drilling apparatus for drilling holes in the horizontal plane.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,499 (Behrens), the inventor of which is the inventor of the present invention, describes apparatus for drilling horizontally. The apparatus of the '499 patent includes two embodiments, a single drill embodiment and a multiple drill embodiment. The apparatus includes wheels rotating in the vertical plane, including a single wheel that is disposed on the work and beneath which a single drill is disposed, and a pair of wheels on the opposite side of the frame from the single wheel. The wheels are vertically adjustable so that the height of the drill may be as desired with respect to the work. Pneumatic pressure is used for the drill, or drills. A single operator may operate the drill apparatus. The '499 apparatus, like the present apparatus, is designed primarily for drilling horizontal holes in concrete, and metal pins or dowels are inserted into the drilled horizontal holes.
Horizontal holes are drilled into concrete primarily in construction work such as roads, bridges, runways, and the like, and in the widening, etc., of them.
U.S. Pat. No. 900,109 (Marsellis) discloses a rail drilling machine which includes two drills. The apparatus includes a framework supported on wheels which in turn are on the rails being drilled. Two drilles are disposed below the wheels and are horizontally disposed for drilling horizontally through the rails in the rail flange beneath the track portion on which the wheels are disposed.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,180,554 (Stueber) discloses another type of rail drilling apparatus which includes both rail wheels and road wheels. A single drill is secured to a frame which in turn is supported by the wheels.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,215,978 (Parnell et al) discloses still another type of rail drilling apparatus in which a drill system is movable vertically as well as horizontally. The apparatus is designed to move along rail track.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,246,144 (NelsoN) discloses another type of rail drilling apparatus in which a frame is secured to only a single pair of wheels. In addition to the single pair of wheels, the frame for the drills includes a portion which is disposed directly on the track or rail being drilled. Again, as in all the other rail drilling apparatus, the drill is disposed beneath the framework and extends horizontally into the vertically extending flange of the rails.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,380,991 (Lonsway) discloses another type of rail drilling apparatus which includes a pair of horizontally opposed drills. The drills are tied together through a gear system to a single source of power. The apparatus is designed to move on the rails being drilled.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,416,600 (Bodwell) discloses another type of rail drilling apparatus. A three-wheel system is utilized in this patent, including a pair of wheels on one side of the apparatus and a single wheel on the other side of the apparatus. A single drill is disposed midway between the two wheels on the one side of the apparatus. All three wheels are designed to move on the rails being drilled.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,713,471 (Gartin) discloses drilling apparatus for drilling vertically downwardly. The drill apparatus is supported on a wagon and is tiltable or pivotable on the wagon from a storage or moving orientation to a vertical orientation for drilling.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,844,873 (Smith) discloses a horizontal rock drilling apparatus which uses a hydraulic ram and a cable system. The hydraulic system is used to operate the rock drill, and the cable system is used to move the hydraulic ram. The apparatus is used for a hammer type drill, as opposed to a rotary drill.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,143,105 (Curtis) discloses a particular feed mechanism for rock drills. A chain drive system is used for moving the drilling apparatus horizontally.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,152,150 (Pearson) discloses a chain and sprocket drive system for a vertically oriented drilling system.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,168,905 (Lear) discloses a wheeled frame system for a horizontal drill. The drill itself moves relative to the wheeled frame for drilling either above the frame and the wheels or drilling below the frame and the wheels. The frame includes three wheels, a pair of wheels in the front and a relatively smaller wheel at the rear of the apparatus. The drill itself is disposed between the pair of wheels.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,365,176 (Curtis) discloses another type of wheeled drilling apparatus. The wheels allow the drill to be moved along the direction of travel of the drill. The drill is disposed between a pair of wheels for horizontal drilling.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,520,390 (Feucht) discloses a portable drill system in which a frame holding a drill is secured to a pair of wheels. The frame is movable relative to the pair of wheels so that drilling may be accomplished in the vertical orientation, a horizontal orientation, or anywhere in between. Stabilizer rods or stakes are used to help stabilize the frame for drilling operations.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,616,677 (Compton) discloses a horizontally oriented auger type drill used for mining. The apparatus includes a tractor type crawler system. Drilling operations take place perpendicularly or tranversely with respect to the movement of the tractor apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,665,117 (Ivey) discloses a horizontally oriented auger type drill system utilizing a wheel carriage for moving the apparatus to the drilling site. The apparatus is then supported on four legs during the drilling operations. The supporting legs are retracted in order to move the drill apparatus to a different location for drilling. The wheels are aligned in the direction of drilling, and the apparatus accordingly does not move transversely to the direction of drilling, as with the '677 (Compton) apparatus discussed in the preceding paragraph.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,668,690 (Cameron) discloses rock drilling apparatus for drilling horizontally. The drill apparatus is disposed on a horizontally extending support rod which extends from the face of the rock being drilled to a vertically extending column or tubular member which in turn extends between the floor and the ceiling of the area being drilled. The height of the vertical support column, and the length of the horizontal support rod, are variable, as required.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,745,637 (Ball) discloses a mobile drilling system which utilized both wheels and tractor treads. A drilling head is movable relative to supporting framework so that drilling may be accomplished at various angles with respect to the frame. The apparatus is designed primarily for underground work, as in mines or tunnels.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,244,240 (Ragnarsson) discloses a drilling rig which includes a frame fixed to wheels disposed on, and accordingly movable on, rails. The framework includes vertically extending members fixed to horizontally extending members that are in turn secured to the axles of the wheels. A drilling frame is movable vertically on the vertically extending members so that the height of the drilling may be adjusted as desired. The apparatus is designed for underground drilling operations, as in mines and tunnels. The movable drilling framework may hold a plurality of drills, as desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,687 (Williams) discloses apparatus for drilling horizontally in concrete manholes to provide openings for a sewer pipe. The apparatus includes a three-wheel suspension designed to be disposed on the periphery of a manhole. The drill itself is supported by the framework in the center between the wheels. Drilling, of course, takes place beneath the wheels and within the manhole. The apparatus includes supports for the drill itself within the manhole by bearing against the sides of the manhole.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,628 (Gessner) discloses a horizontal drilling system secured to the bucket of a backhoe. The apparatus includes structure for securing the drill to the bucket of the backhoe. The drill is positioned through a movement of the bucket. The drill itself is powered by a hydraulic motor that is connected to the hydraulic system of the backhoe.
It will be noted that only the '499 (Behrens) patent is designed for horizontal drilling into concrete for preparing holes to receive dowel pins. Most of the above-discussed patents are designed for rock drilling apparatus, as in mining work, or for drilling holes in rails. The '499 apparatus is designed to drill a plurality of spaced holes in concrete preparatory to the insertion of dowels. The apparatus of the present invention is a second generation, so to speak, for drilling regularly spaced holes, and provides a single operator with the capacity to drill a plurality of holes at regularly spaced, or predetermined interval distances, in a speedy, expeditious, and efficient system, with a system that is movable to its own propulsion system, self-contained on the unit.